What is World Heritage?
International concerns about cultural and natural heritage led to the adoption of the World Heritage Convention by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) in 1972. Its purpose is to encourage national governments to give greater protection to sites of importance, to support the training of professionals to manage them, and to conduct research to gain a greater understanding of its heritage sites and the threats to them.
The Convention established a World Heritage Committee consisting of members elected by all the countries that have adopted the World Heritage Convention. The Committee is responsible for:
- Inscribing sites of ‘outstanding universal value’ on the World Heritage List
- Examining reports on the state of conservation of inscribed properties and asks national governments to take action when properties are not being properly managed
- Focusing international attention and funding for Sites it considers to be threatened by adding them to the List of World Heritage in Danger
Further information about the World Heritage Convention, the criteria for inclusion on the World Heritage List and all the inscribed sites can be obtained from the UNESCO website
